Los Angeles Lakers Rosters, Statistics, Records, News, and More!
Archive for September, 2010
Your World Champion Miami Heat?
09.09.10
Don’t worry, Laker faithful. It’s not that I am rooting for the Miami Heat to win the championship next year. Far from it. My hope is that they will be booed excessively on the road. And in a few days, my blog will state the reasons the Lakers will be successful in their quest for a three-peat. I just want to present the case for the possibility that the Heat could really win it all. Let’s look at 3 areas:
- Coaching
- Talent
- Hunger
I observed during George Karl’s absence from the Nuggets playoff series last year a team without direction, basically a chicken with it’s head cut off. They lacked discipline and focus. I have always felt that Phil Jackson hasn’t always got the respect he deserves. His detractors like to point out that he has won with Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. They fail to acknowledge that all of these players have been coached in the NBA with the same key teammates, and not achieved the success that they have with Phil. In the last 20 years, 3 coaches have accounted for 17 championships. And the 3 coaches with single championships in that span were Pat Riley, Larry Brown and Doc Rivers. Now Erik Spoelstra is not a proven entity, but you know Riles will step in if the Heat lose 3 games in a row. So the Heat have plan A and plan B set up for coaching for the season.
The Heat were much more successful, despite cap restrictions, in developing a roster than I expected. I thought it would be LeBron, Wade, Bosh and 11 guys that were either as old as the stone age (think Shaq) or no-names. Instead, they have Udonis Haslem, Eddie House, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers, Da’Sean Butler, Carlos Arroyo, Joel Anthony, James Jones, Jamaal Magloire, Juwan Howard, and Zydunas Ilgauskas. While I don’t believe those guys are the best at their positions, it was more than I thought the Heat would be able to do.
And I know you’re thinking – can you put a team together like that, have it mesh, and be successful in its first season? And I am reminded of the Boston Celtics in 2007-2008, when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce. I think the Heat have a lot to prove this season. Teams that play the Heat, like those playing the Lakers, will be exerting extra effort because they know they must. So I don’t think the Heat will break the Lakers streak of 33 straight wins. Nor do I think they will hold the best single season record. And I do believe they will lose back to back games this season. The East got better during the off-season, with key free agents either staying in the East or signing up in that conference. I don’t see any team in the West that vastly improved their roster. Although I like the Thunder, with the Lakers strengthening their bench, I think the Lakers will have an easier time reaching the finals this year.
So this year, I will be rooting for the Lakers and whoever is playing the Heat. Three-peat time!
Matt Barnes Arrested
09.08.10
And from the world of, “I Knew This Off Season Was Going Too Well,” newest Laker Matt Barnes was arrested tonight on felony assault charges, and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail.
According to police, Barnes was arrested for assualting the woman “who lived with him and with whom he had a dating relationship.” He posted a $50,000 bond and was released shortly after 9:30 PM tonight.
According to Sacbee.com,
Both parties were said to have visible injuries, but Barnes was determined to be the primary aggressor according to police. Barnes is also charged with maliciously obstructing the use of a telephone line. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Wow, thanks Matt. Great timing too. Let’s hope this isn’t as bad as it sounds.
Ron Artest To Sell Championship Ring
09.08.10
So he finally wins a title and a ring in the NBA, and the first thing Ron Artest wants to do is sell it? Well that’s what he plans to do, according a report on NBA.com.
In his campaign to promote mental health, Artest will sell his championship ring as a fundraiser to help provide more psychologists and therapists in schools. Quite a bold and classy act for a man who once started US professional sport’s most-notorious brawl in Detroit in 2003.
“You work so hard to get a ring, and now you have a chance to help more people than just yourself, instead of just satisfying yourself,” he said. “What’s better than that? For me, this is very important.”
Artest hopes to raise awareness in one of college sport’s most under-covered issues, mental health. And by doing his part to help make mental health therapy more readily available to students at a younger age, there is hope it will curtail the attempts of suicide amongst college players. According to the report on NBA.com, around 20-25 athletes in Division I sports attempt suicide each year.
You really need to take your hat off to Ron. The turnaround he has made in his career, with all of his admitted emotional issues, is quite amazing. Rarely do you see an athlete attack his own demons head-on during his playing years like he has, and come out a winner.
If you’re interested in the entire story about Artest and his battle with mental-health awareness, you can read it on NBA.com.
The Derrick Caracter Weight-Loss Contract
09.07.10
So apparently the Lakers have a new way to motivate rookie forward Derrick Caracter to stay in shape, “keep your weight down, and we’ll pay you.”
According to a report on ProBasketballTalk.com,
Caracter has a $473,000 contract this year with $250,000 guaranteed. If Caracter weighs 275 pounds or less on Sept. 10, the contract becomes fully guaranteed.
There is a future for Caracter in “Laker Land,” especially with the team letting both DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell go this off season. If Caracter can keep himself in shape, there is some playing time to be had. And it seems the Lakers are willing to reward him financially for doing so.
This writer knows that for $177k, he’d surely keep himself under 275 pounds. Of course it would take two of him to equal that weight, but I digress.
Maybe the Lakers should have thought about employing this when Shaq still wore purple and gold.
“The Numerology of Ron Artest”
09.06.10
Ron Artest gave a typical “Ron Ron” interview to NBA TV about all of his jersey numbers and switches. Even he seemed confused trying to go through them all.
NBA TV blocks the embedding of YouTube videos on other sites, so click the link below.
“The Numerology of Ron Artest”.
Enjoy!
Recent Chatter